Flexible laser-induced graphene biosensor enables real-time, in vivo profiling of wound healing cytokine dynamics

Abstract

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) provides a scalable route to high-performance carbon nanomaterials, but its biomedical translation has been hindered by limited robustness, biocompatibility, and in vivo validation. Here, we report a flexible, elastomer-integrated LIG biosensor that enables continuous monitoring, label-free monitoring of inflammatory cytokines within living tissue. By systematically optimizing the laser processing parameters, we generated stable, low-resistance graphene networks that maintained electrical fidelity under repeated bending and adhesion stress. Antibody functionalization conferred molecular specificity, allowing picogram-per-milliliter detection of interleukin-6 (IL-6), CXCL12, and TGF-beta 1 with performance comparable to ELISA. In a chronic wound model, the biosensor resolved cytokine-specific temporal dynamics across inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases, validated by conventional assays. This platform provides minimally invasive and longitudinal profiling of inflammatory signaling, establishing LIG biosensors as clinically translatable tools for precision monitoring in wound healing, neuroinflammation, and other inflammation-driven disorders. Such direct and mechanically stable interfacing with the wound microenvironment enables continuous in vivo cytokine profiling beyond conventional wearable or adhesive biosensing approaches.